Harvard Law School J.D. · 2026-27 J.D. applicants (entering fall 2027)

Your Harvard Law interview

If Harvard Law School invites you to interview, you'll have a Zoom conversation of about 15 minutes with a member of the J.D. admissions committee who has read your whole file. The questions are built around your application, and applicants describe the interviewers as nice and the pace as fast.

Sources (4)

Harvard Law School: Application Toolkit: Interview · Harvard Law School: How is My Interviewer Selected? · Reddit: harvard interview questions : r/lawschooladmissions (2024) · Reddit: HARVARD LAW INTERVIEW : r/lawschooladmissions (2025)

About 12%of applicants were interviewed in 2025-26: 1,051 interviews from 9,061 applications. Harvard Law School

About 74%of those interviewed in 2025-26 got an offer: 780 offers from 1,051 interviews. Every admitted student must interview. Harvard Law School

Congratulations again: HLS interviews only the files its second readers move forward, and Dean Jobson calls an invitation a highly positive indicator. She says that for most admitted applicants the interview confirms what the written file shows, while for borderline files it is a chance to stand out. It is still not an offer: in 2025-26, 271 of the 1,051 people interviewed were not admitted.

Sources (3)

Harvard Law School: Application Toolkit: Interview · YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · YouTube: Assistant Dean for Admissions Kristi Jobson explains how HLS reviews files, interviews and decides

WhoOne member of the admissions committee; you effectively pick them at random when you pick a time slot Harvard Law School · YouTube · Reddit

How longAbout 15 minutes, in a twenty-minute slot; one applicant reports 16 minutes Harvard Law School · Harvard Law School · Reddit

WhereA live Zoom call (alternatives if you can't use Zoom), scheduled in Eastern time Harvard Law School · Harvard Law School

The questionsAround six or seven, prepared from your file, then time for your single most important question Harvard Law School · Harvard Law School

4 more: when, what they know about you, does it count, your odds

WhenInterviews run from November through the cycle; applicants report invitations 4 to 10 weeks after applying Harvard Law School · Reddit

What they know about youEverything: every interviewer reads your complete application before the call Harvard Law School · Harvard Law School

Does it countYes. An interview is required for admission, and every admitted student has completed one Harvard Law School · YouTube

Your oddsIn 2025-26, HLS held 1,051 interviews and made 780 offers Harvard Law School

How you get an interview

You can't request one. HLS uses a first-reader, second-reader model, and the second reader decides whether your file moves into the interview pool. Not every applicant is invited, and Dean Kristi Jobson calls an invitation a highly positive sign.

How it arrives. The Admissions Office contacts you directly. You choose a time slot, and since interviewers are pre-assigned to slots, that choice also sets your interviewer. You can't work out who it will be.
Timing. Interviews begin in November and continue through the cycle. Applicants report waiting 4 to 10 weeks after applying, and say invitation waves are mostly done by mid-February.
Book fast. Applicants report (2022) that invitations went out on Thursdays for interviews the following week, and that popular slots vanished within a minute.
The slang. On Reddit an invitation is a "KJ1" and an offer a "KJ2", after Kristi Jobson.

Sources: YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · YouTube: Assistant Dean for Admissions Kristi Jobson explains how HLS reviews files, interviews and decides · Harvard Law School: Application Toolkit: Interview · Harvard Law School: How is My Interviewer Selected? · Reddit: How long after KJ1 is the actual interview? (2022) · Reddit: HLS Interview Timeline (2026) · Reddit: Harvard Timeline Post Interview (2026) · Reddit: Can we stop using KJ1 / KJ2 (2022) · Reddit: feel dumb but what is kj1? (2022)

What the interviewer knows and asks

Your interviewer has read your entire file and writes questions for you. Expect to be asked for more detail on jobs and experiences from your résumé and on your written statements.

HLS publishes its favorite questions. They include:

What you're most proud of from college, a common opener for seniors, with follow-ups.
What you've learned about what you do and don't want in a legal career. Self-knowledge matters more than a fixed plan.
Why HLS, and also the downsides of HLS, and how you'd decide if it's right for you.
What brings you joy.
Something that surprised you in recent study or work.
What you'll be like in the classroom and community.
A time you changed your mind or worked through a hard disagreement. Every interview has at least one question on engaging with people who disagree, a practice in place since 2019.

Applicants report the questions vary a lot from person to person. Those coming straight from college got mostly academic questions; others were asked about their work, moving to the East Coast, or their long-term goals.

Sources: Harvard Law School: Our Favorite Interview Questions · Harvard Law School: How is My Interviewer Selected? · YouTube: Assistant Dean for Admissions Kristi Jobson explains how HLS reviews files, interviews and decides · Reddit: harvard interview questions : r/lawschooladmissions (2024) · Reddit: HARVARD LAW INTERVIEW : r/lawschooladmissions (2025) · Reddit: UChicago & HLS Interview Questions : r/lawschooladmissions (2026) · Reddit: HLS interview questions? : r/lawschooladmissions (2026) · Reddit: HLS 1L, AMA (2025)

What they're looking for

HLS wants to understand your professional goals, academic path and motivations, and also who you are as a person outside your achievements. Its admissions officers say they weigh that human side when building the class.

Dean Jobson names specific qualities:

Enthusiasm. It doesn't need to be cheerleader-style energy, but you should be genuinely excited and know what HLS offers.
Professionalism. When you talk about a hard past situation, show humility and nuance rather than criticizing others.
Care. Test your setup and look comfortable and confident on camera.
Engaging across difference. The disagreement questions show how you react to challenging ideas.

The questions about your classroom style have no right or wrong answer; they're about how you'd fit into the community.

Sources: Harvard Law School: Our Favorite Interview Questions · YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · YouTube: Assistant Dean for Admissions Kristi Jobson explains how HLS reviews files, interviews and decides

The day itself

Before. Accept the interviewer's Zoom contact request ahead of time, test audio and video, and keep Eastern time in mind. If your interviewer is a few minutes late, don't worry.
Circumstances. The registration form lets you note things like bad WiFi, a loud background or a cold. HLS says these don't count against you, and you needn't fret about lighting, hair or constant eye contact.
During. The interviewer takes notes to summarize your answers, not to grade you in real time. Applicants describe it as friendly, low-key and over quickly.
Your question. You get one top question at the end. Skip facts from the website, such as clinic counts. Dean Jobson likes questions about student life, such as what students do at lunch.
Dress. Applicants report (2023) business casual.

Sources: Harvard Law School: Application Toolkit: Interview · Harvard Law School: How is My Interviewer Selected? · YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · Reddit: harvard interview questions : r/lawschooladmissions (2024) · Reddit: HARVARD LAW INTERVIEW : r/lawschooladmissions (2025) · Reddit: KJ1 Advice (2023)

After the interview

Your file then goes to one of about 12 members of the HLS faculty committee, who reviews, scores and makes a recommendation. The five admissions team members who conduct interviews make the final decisions based on those evaluations.

How much the interview weighs depends on you. Dean Jobson says that for most admitted applicants it confirms what the file already shows. For borderline files it's a real chance to stand out and address concerns. Rarely, an applicant tanks it, for example by speaking badly of past professors or showing little interest in HLS, and that can block admission.

Applicants report that HLS releases decisions on set dates, such as in March, and that acceptances come by phone call. Some waitlisted applicants report (2023) a second, waitlist interview, with 24 hours to accept an offer.

Sources: YouTube: Assistant Dean for Admissions Kristi Jobson explains how HLS reviews files, interviews and decides · YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · Reddit: Harvard Timeline Post Interview (2026) · Reddit: Posting my interview questions for future applicants (Harvard WL/UChicago/Columb (2023)

How to prepare

Know every line of your résumé. Dean Jobson advises having a story ready for every item, even an old internship or thesis.
Bullets, not scripts. Keep 3 to 5 points in your head per story. Applicants agree that memorized answers sound stiff.
Practice out loud. Record yourself on your phone, or do a mock interview with someone. Applicants spent several hours on first-round practice.
Be concise. The interviewer hears only a short version of any event, so choose your words with care.
Prepare the HLS list. Work through the published favorite questions, including the pros and cons of HLS, not just a generic "why Harvard".
Vary your examples. Applicants suggest drawing on different experiences rather than one story for everything.
Have your one question ready, about life at HLS rather than facts on its website.

Sources: YouTube: Dean Kristi Jobson, head of HLS J.D. admissions, on what the interview looks for and how to prepare · Harvard Law School: Our Favorite Interview Questions · Reddit: Interview Prep Advice (HLS but also general) (painfully detailed) : r/lawschoola (2024) · 7Sage: Law School Interview Questions · Reddit: HLS interview questions? : r/lawschooladmissions (2026) · Reddit: KJ1 Advice (2023)

Your interviewer

Owen Brandt Fictional interviewer

Get a briefing on your own interviewer

Know who's interviewing you? Their LinkedIn profile is the best source.

Use a computer if you can. Open their LinkedIn profile in a web browser, click More (or ⋯) under their name, then Save to PDF.
On a phone: the LinkedIn app can't save a profile. Open linkedin.com in your phone's browser instead, switch to the desktop site, and use More → Save to PDF.
Upload the PDF here, or paste what you know about them (a bio, a profile page).

See the sample briefing

HLS Assistant Director of J.D. Admissions since July 2021; former regulatory litigator (2013-2017) and college pre-law adviser (2017-2021)

Owen Brandt has interviewed applicants and read files for Harvard Law School for about five years (since July 2021). Before that he spent four years as a pre-law adviser at a small Minnesota liberal arts college, where he ran mock interviews and personal-statement workshops, and four years before that as a litigation associate at a Boston firm handling energy and telecom regulatory cases. In practice this means he has heard thousands of rehearsed answers and can likely tell polished scripts from real thinking. His own profile says he values candor ('I would rather hear how you fixed a mistake than hear that you never made one'), real work experience, and public-sector and regulatory careers. He will have read your whole file and written questions from it. Your job is to be specific, honest and concise. Don't try to match his background.

Their path

B.A., Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2009)
J.D., Boston University School of Law (2013): notes editor of a journal, student in a housing clinic
Associate, Regulatory and Appellate Litigation, Merrow & Hale LLP, Boston (Sep 2013 - Jul 2017): energy and telecom matters before state commissions and federal courts; pro bono utility shutoff and public-benefits appeals
Pre-Law Adviser, Northfield College, Minnesota (Aug 2017 - Jun 2021): advised about 120 students a year, ran mock interviews
Assistant Director, J.D. Admissions, Harvard Law School (Jul 2021 - present): interviews, file reading, presenting files to committee; leads outreach to Mountain West/Southwest applicants and applicants with 3+ years of work experience
Volunteer: high school debate judge (2018 - present); board member, adult literacy nonprofit (2022 - present)

What it means for your conversation

He ran mock interviews for four years as an adviser, so a memorized answer will probably stand out to him. Go in with 3-5 bullet points per story, not scripts.
He explicitly says he prefers candor about mistakes. A 'tell me about a failure' or 'a time you changed your mind' question with him likely rewards a real example: what went wrong, what you did, what you'd do differently. Don't give a disguised strength.
He practiced law for four years, so vague claims about 'wanting to litigate' or 'policy work' may get a follow-up on what you actually know about the work. Say honestly how much you know and how you learned it.
He judges high school debate, and every HLS interview has a question on engaging with disagreement. He may notice whether you can fairly state the other side's view before answering it. That is an inference.
If you have significant work experience or come from the Mountain West or Southwest, he leads outreach to those groups, so he may probe your work stories in detail. If you're a college senior, expect mostly academic questions, as HLS applicants report.
Interview assignment is random by time slot. Nothing here changes what you prepare. It mainly tells you to lean toward specifics and honesty.

Questions they may lean toward

A mistake you made at work, in school or in a project, and how you fixed it His profile says directly he'd rather hear how you fixed a mistake than that you never made one.
Detailed follow-ups on a job or experience from your resume: what you did yourself, what was hard, what you learned He states he cares about real work experience, and HLS interviewers routinely dig into resume lines.
What you've learned about what you do and don't want in a legal career This is a published HLS favorite question, and a former practitioner and pre-law adviser may press on how realistic your picture of law practice is.
A time you changed your mind or worked through a hard disagreement This is asked in every HLS interview, and his debate judging may make him attentive to how fairly you treat the other side (inference).
Why HLS, including its downsides and how you'd decide This is a published favorite. As a former adviser he has likely heard many generic 'why Harvard' answers.

Honest common ground

Only raise this if it is genuinely true of you. If you did public-interest, legal aid, government or regulatory work, it connects to interests he names. Speak about your own experience, not his.
If you used a college pre-law advising office or did mock interviews, it's a real shared reference point, though you don't need to bring it up.
If you debated in high school or college, that's real overlap. Mention it only if it's already in your file and relevant to an answer.
Do not manufacture connections to cycling, the Red Sox, bookstores or cooking. These are personal interests he listed, and raising them would look like resume-reading.

Questions to ask them

From what you've seen, how do students who arrive with several years of work experience tend to adjust to 1L sections, and what do they do outside class to settle in? This is a student-life question, which Dean Jobson favors. He leads outreach to applicants with work experience, so he likely has real observations. Use it only if you have work experience.
What do 1Ls actually do at lunch or between classes during the first few weeks? How do people find their groups? Dean Jobson specifically likes lunch and student-life questions, and the answer isn't on the website.
What surprises students most about the fall reading groups, the small ungraded faculty-led groups of 10-12? It shows you know what HLS offers and asks about lived experience, not website facts.

Avoid

Reciting his career back to him, for example 'I see you did regulatory litigation', or claiming sudden interest in energy or telecom regulation.
Answering a mistake or failure question with a fake weakness like 'I work too hard'. He explicitly values candor.
Memorized, word-perfect answers. He ran mock interviews professionally.
Criticizing past professors, supervisors or colleagues when describing hard situations. Show humility and nuance.
Asking a question answered on the HLS website, such as clinic counts or course numbers.
Rambling. You have about 15 minutes and six or seven questions, so aim for answers of about 1-2 minutes.

A sample, to show what the briefing looks like: Owen Brandt and their employers are invented.

Based on: The sample interviewer's profile (fictional) · Harvard Law School: Application Toolkit: Interview · Harvard Law School: How is My Interviewer Selected? · Reddit: harvard interview questions : r/lawschooladmissions (2024) · Reddit: HARVARD LAW INTERVIEW : r/lawschooladmissions (2025)

All sources · 28 plus 9 applicant threads

Applicant threads are linked under each question.